Palpitations during or after exercise

[josephina_7]

Hey, I'm kind of new to this site, I'm 26 and have been suffering from general anxiety for 8 years and the one thing that I can get past is these palpitations. Sometimes it feels like a missed or irregular beat and sometimes like a brief flutter in my chest.

It is definitely worse when I'm emotional or anxious but it also happens more when I exercise - not so much during but a few hours afterwards. Not sure if this is because I'm anxious and waiting for it to happen or because exercise brings it on!

I had an ECG years ago and it was normal but I can't help thinking that because the palpitations weren't happening at the time, it wouldn't have picked them up even if there was something wrong that was causing them.

So basically, I am trying to exercise to bring my anxiety down but then I often get palpitations afterwards and then I can't exercise! Does anyone else have palpitations that are brought on by exercise? I need reassurance!! I know if I go to my doctor he will say I am young etc etc and dismiss it as anxiety but surprisingly that doesn't convince me!

Jo

[Tigress]

Hi Jo

I've suffered with palpitations since my 20's too, am now in my 40's and get them due to anxiety. They don't really bother me too much anymore, guess I've just got use to them, lol. They are a very common symptom of a healthy heart in nervous illness/anxiety caused by simple adrenalin release or too much caffiene, smoking, lack of sleep etc. I also get them when I'm relaxed doing nothing and sometimes when exercising. Just try accepting them, they are of little significance though I know how alarming they can feel! If you're worried then go to your gp and say you need reassurrance, it's always a good idea when you have upsetting symptoms.............. alot of us do!

Take care
Sue x

[matti]

Hey Jo
I to have similar symptoms, and I also get them when I exercise, either before or after. I had an ECG and was told it was normal so I now try not lead a normal life and ignore them as much as I can.Try not to worry too much about them ( easier said than done I know) please feel reassured that they are normal to you. Exercise is good for the mind, body and soul so keep it up, it will also make your heart and surrounding muscles stronger and thats got to be a good thing.
Take care Matti x

[shaz01]

Hi Josephina,

I have also suffered on and off with palpitations for years, I had a test years ago as well and recently when I went back to the GP he said he was still quite happy with the results from way back. Quite often I will get them after I have finished excerising or came back from walking the dogs etc infact mines can happen any time or place and quite often without any reason...I do know however they are definitly worse with stress, tiredness, feeling unwell etc.

I agree though, keep doing the excercise, I had actually stopped going for long walks there because a few times I felt my heart blipping and I was scared however I have gone back to sitcking my MP3 on and listening to music, this is a good distraction and it takes my mind of my heart!!!!

Shaz x

[pageste]

Funny you should say that !
I have the anxiety thing, I have palps and ectopics and I also suffer from IBS and Ive actualy had a heart attack ............who shouted Bingo.
The thing is when I had my last heart check up I was literally put thru my paces on a treadmill, 12 mins of running up an incline until my heart was pounding like a steam train and I couldnt speak. The traces showed huge amount of ectopics and it felt like my heart rythm was all over the shop. The doctor monitoring me said absolutely not bothered by any of it at all, they are completely harmless ( I took some convincing). They continued for days afterwards and made me very uncomfortable. Now whenever I exercise I get an increase in palps/ectopics, I get them more when Iam tired which as a shift worker is often and I deffo get them more when I am anxious or stressed. I have proved to myself that when I can relax and not worry too much about them they cease to be an issue, I know they are there but Ive worked very hard not to let them rule me. It isnt easy.
Hope it helps to know that you are not alone with this and if your GP says not to worry - he is probably right. Right onto my next thing to worry about :blush:

[shaz01]

Hi there,

Pageste - you have reassured me when you said your doctor could see the ectopics while excercising and not concerned cos when I had the 24 hour monitor I maybe had one tiny blip and nothing else so Im not convinced they could see anything happening. But if you felt it and they saw it then they must be convinced theres nothing to worry about with them.

Do you feel them worse if you excercise in the cold, Im sure mines get worse if I go for a long walk and the weathers bad.

Shaz

[WackoJacko]

Yeah I am the same I used to be fit as a fiddle when I came out the army I started getting anxiety and palpitations and haven’t exercised since
but today I did my 1st run and even though im packerd after a measly mile my hart was pal ping on the warm up and cool down I don't think it was doing it during the run but maybe I didn't feel it coz I was on the move who knows lol they used to make me collapse and loose my breath but now I think I just got used to them its bin years and they haven’t killed me yet lol but I would still like some kind of an actual scan/x-ray of my hart but they haven’t done that coz every time I have a 24hr monitor they say my results did show ectopics but nothing to concern them :( can you not just demand a proper scan?? and is it safe to run when taking propranolol for palpitations anybody no?? thanks in advance!

[Ashmedai]

I get these too, and I know how scary they are. There's a good article on the site about palpitations, and it did a lot to reassure me. Laying off the caffeine helped me immensely too.

[Stu82]

Hi, I get palps too when exercising and relaxing but mainly when I've been feeling anxious over a few weeks.

[Freaked]

Having ectopics after exercise is very common in people prone to them. Exercise revs up your system and wears you out, but often fast heart rate keeps ectopics at bay and makes them less noticeable. Then after exercise when your heart is slower, you get them.